Shaun Tait has heaped big praise on premier Australia pacer Mitchell Starc and suggested that he is close to one of the greatest white-ball bowlers the country has produced. The left-arm paceman claimed his ninth five-wicket haul in ODIs on Sunday during the second ODI against India as Australia registered an emphatic 10-wicket victory to level the series 1-1. Starc has claimed 219 scalps in 109 ODIs so far at an excellent bowling average of 21.78.
On Sunday, Starc ran riot with the ball and dismissed four India batters in the first powerplay – Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and KL Rahul. While he completed his fifer by dismissing Mohammed Siraj, which also wrapped up the Indian innings for just 117.
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The left-arm pacer swung the ball back in as the Indian batters struggled miserably against him with the new ball.
Former Australia pacer Tait said that Starc looks to swing the ball and by pitching it up which is also the case with Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi.
“I think it’s been the same for him. He just wants to swing the ball and get on the stumps basically. Conditions helped him out a little bit again. Even in Mumbai, it had something for the fast bowlers and obviously, it did today as well. I think he got it right and the batters got it wrong. He reminds me a little of Shaheen Afridi where no matter what the conditions are, he is brave enough to pitch the ball up, almost half-volley length on the stumps and backing his pace. Mitchell Starc is close to one of the greatest bowlers Australia has ever had in white-ball cricket,” said Tait on ESPNCricinfo.
Starc also troubled the Indian batters in the series opener by claiming three early wickets with the new ball.
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Tait further talked about the Indian batters’ struggle against the left-arm pacers and said they had to show some patience on a track like Vizag.
“There has been an issue. It’s a struggle for a lot of batters. A left-armer who bowls at around 145 and can swing the ball is dangerous for anybody. Today, for example, what the Indian players did wrong was to setup for as if it was a flat pitch. Walking across the stumps and playing some loose shots. I think the conditions today didn’t allow for that. It was probably a wicket where you had to spend some time and get through the tough periods,” said Tait.
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